Thump thump thump.
Son Yooha felt her heart racing uncontrollably. The melody beyond the record made her heart pound as if the violin strings were whispering to her.
Imagining Hyun playing the violin, her pale white face blushed red like a ripe persimmon.
“This piece is so romantic!”
“Michelle, this was definitely composed with Yooha in mind!”
Michelle and Camilla were evaluating Kang Hyun’s second album. Even to their ears, the final track was extremely sweet. The tremors where the bow met the strings seemed to express the fluttering of a romance movie.
“Look at the album cover photo. I never thought a violinist could be this handsome. He’s much better looking than David Joni.”
“Yooha, is this really the same oppa from back then? He seems to have grown much taller.”
“Yes, it’s him.”
The album jacket featured Kang Hyun playing the violin. Although it was a casual photo seemingly taken in a practice room, it exuded an indescribable charm.
Especially his melancholic eyes beneath his flowing black hair were beyond beautiful, almost mesmerizing. It was like a painting.
“Yooha, what does this writing say? It looks like Hangul.”
Michelle cautiously asked while looking at the Hangul written on the album. Even to Michelle, who couldn’t read Hangul, it didn’t seem like just a simple signature. As Son Yooha read the letter written by Kang Hyun, her face turned red again.
“What does it say?”
The reason Yooha’s face turned red was simple. Each letter contained Kang Hyun’s heartfelt emotions.
Michelle and Camilla asked again out of curiosity, but Yooha just gave a shy smile without answering. It was a story just between her and Hyun.
At that moment, Camilla, who was reading a column, widened her eyes and exclaimed.
“Look at this! According to Forbes, Hyun is listed as one of the world’s most attractive musicians. He’s the first violinist and classical musician to be named at the age of nineteen!”
“Even at our school, everyone’s talking about Hyun these days. Esther from class A bought ten copies of Hyun’s album. She couldn’t find it anywhere and had to go to another state to get it, and she was bragging about it.”
Just as Michelle and Camilla said, Kang Hyun’s popularity was unimaginable.
The reason why American teenage girls, who were generally uninterested in classical music, showed such great interest in Hyun was simple.
His appearance while holding the bow was so captivating that it couldn’t even be compared to movie stars.
Some people exaggeratedly said that Kang Hyun’s presence reminded them of Edward Furlong, a former model for CK, so much so that it was no wonder.
“Yooha, it looks like you’ll need to be on guard. If he’s this popular in America, imagine how big he must be in Korea.”
At that moment, Yooha’s eyes sparkled at Michelle’s words.
“Young man, eat a lot.”
Manager Kim Sang-guk felt full just looking at Kang Hyun.
Though he visited Korea University every other day to report on investment results, he didn’t mind it at all.
After all, Kang Hyun’s investment plans were perfectly put together like a well-crafted puzzle.
“Manager, don’t you get tired of eating tteokbokki and sundae all the time?”
“It’s part of the college life charm. You might not know, but this snack bar has a long history, even before I first entered the university. Look at the names of all the Korea University alumni covering the walls. You might find a future president of Korea among them.”
Manager Kim Sang-guk wasn’t exaggerating. Korea University was the pinnacle of the nation’s university admissions.
“So, it’s possible to find a future prime minister?”
“Of course.”
Kang Hyun smiled faintly.
In his past life, he first met Manager Kim Sang-guk at the Blue House. Back then, Kim Sang-guk was the prime minister and had the same sharp eyes and square jaw, but he didn’t remember him smiling this much.
“Buy more of Barbara Mining.”
“Barbara Mining? You’re saying to buy more of a stock that’s already considered to have peaked?”
“Yes.”
Kang Hyun answered without hesitation. Manager Kim Sang-guk looked puzzled.
Thanks to Kang Hyun, Barbara Mining had discovered a gold vein in Nepal, and its stock price had been rising steadily. It was now considered to have reached its peak. Moreover, no new gold veins had been discovered. It was what people call “catching the top.”
“Did you contact Barbara’s chairwoman?”
“No, aside from occasional greetings, we haven’t been in touch much in recent years.”
Kang Hyun’s reason for pushing to buy Barbara Mining’s stock was simple. Barbara Mining was about to discover a new gold vein.
Not only that, but discovering the world’s largest copper vein would become a hot topic in the early 2000s.
After that, Barbara Mining’s stock price would skyrocket, causing multiple circuit breakers. Even someone like Kang Hyun, who wasn’t interested in stocks at the time, vividly remembered it being a major news story.
“Understood, I’ll proceed as you instructed, sir.”
“Thank you for trusting me, manager.”
“By the way, I heard your album is incredibly popular among teenagers these days?”
Kang Hyun just chuckled without denying it. Nowadays, you could frequently hear the classical music he composed on the streets.
Moreover, maybe because of the melancholic vibe of the album jacket photo, the number of female student fans had significantly increased. Rumor had it that a fan club had even been established.
“My niece is also a huge fan of yours. She didn’t used to listen to classical music, but now she plays your music whenever she studies. My sister-in-law is thrilled because there’s a rumor among moms that listening to your music makes kids smarter.”
“Makes them smarter?”
“Absolutely. Aren’t you the first perfect scorer in the history of the SAT? By the way, don’t you go to any school meetups these days? You’re not attending classes alone, are you?”
Even if he wanted to attend alone, he couldn’t. Kim Daewoo was always stuck to him like glue.
Moreover, Kim Daewoo had somehow become the class representative for the freshmen, so there were always classmates around him.
It was a stark contrast to his previous life, where he memorized law books in a study room. And as for meetups…
“If I get caught attending a meetup, I’d be dead.”
“Dead?”
Manager Kim Sang-guk asked curiously. But then he seemed to realize something and clapped his hands, mentioning a name.
“Yooha!”
The 90s were the golden age of the record market.
Shin Seung-hoon’s fifth album sold 2.1 million copies, Seo Taiji and Boys’ second album sold 2.2 million copies, and Kim Gun-mo’s third album “Wrongful Meeting” sold 2.5 million copies, marking the era of million-sellers in the 90s record market.
“How many copies is this?”
Director Im Hyera was speechless and stuck out her tongue. The initial stock allocated by EMA was sold out, and the distribution industry was repeatedly requesting additional prints.
If this sales trend continued, it wouldn’t be surprising if a classical album became the first million-seller in the history of Korea’s record industry.
“Director, we’ve been getting endless interview requests from the three major broadcasting stations since this morning. They’re ready to come with cameras and reporters at a moment’s notice. Even the publishing companies are so insistent that the phones are practically on fire.”
Kang Hyun’s album had been a hot topic since its release. It was no exaggeration to say it had stirred up all age groups in Korea.
From classical music lovers to those who fell for his looks, and even expectant mothers choosing his album as prenatal music, the news was abuzz.
“Tom Smith even contacted us to say he wants to work with Hyun.”
“Wait, Mi-hyun. Are you talking about the British photographer Tom Smith?”
“Yes, director. We were also surprised when Tom Smith himself called. He said the album jacket photo captivated him, and if given the chance, he’d love to work with Hyun.”
Im Hyera barely held back a gasp.
Tom Smith was a world-renowned photographer, highly sought after by famous Hollywood actors.
He was from a British noble family, so money couldn’t hire him.
Rumor had it that the legendary British rock band Sees had to plead with Tom Smith several times to get their photos taken, making him a very hard-to-meet person.
The fact that such a high-profile figure reached out first was astonishing.
Gulp.
Director Im Hyera’s throat bobbed as she looked at the album jacket of Kang Hyun.
The reason for her astonishment was simple. While she expected a sensation, the scope was far beyond her imagination.
The future seemed boundless and incredibly bright.
“Now, is there anyone who knows the responsibilities of the parties in this case?”
The elderly professor scanned the students with sharp eyes, but the German language and law students alike remained silent as if their tongues were tied.
Although it was a first-year elective, the level and content were comparable to upper-year major courses, making it quite challenging.
The professor’s gaze landed on Kang Hyun. Even though he hadn’t raised his hand, it seemed the professor was giving him a hint.
“I’m not expecting a perfect answer, so anyone, please share your thoughts. Law should be based on common sense. If you get this question right, I’ll give you extra points for the semester grade.”
A few students raised their hands at the mention of extra points, but satisfying the professor’s intellectual curiosity proved difficult.
Although he didn’t intend to participate as a German language major, Kang Hyun eventually raised his hand under the professor’s persistent gaze.
“Alright, Kang Hyun, go ahead. Don’t worry about being wrong; just share your thoughts openly.”
There was no way he could be wrong. While studying for the bar exam, he had read countless cases, including the one the professor mentioned.
He knew the case’s details, the prosecutor’s arguments, and the Supreme Court’s ruling.
As a non-law major, he didn’t need to go into too much detail. The responsibilities of the parties were clearly outlined in his mind.
“Hyun, you’re good at German, but how are you also good at law?”
“I just prefer German for now. Law is just something I remember.”
Kim Daewoo wore a puzzled expression as he followed Kang Hyun.
“By the way, Hyun, how about joining a group meetup this time? We have one arranged with the dance department, and they seem to be eagerly waiting for you.”
“I’m not interested.”
“Come on, think about it. The new students in the dance department are rumored to be stunningly beautiful.”
While meetups might be a college dream for some, Kang Hyun, just like in his past life, had little interest in such encounters.
Despite Kim Daewoo’s continued persuasion, it was like reading to a cow.
Eventually, Kim Daewoo gave up, looking crestfallen.
“Hyun, do you have someone you like?”
“Why?”
“Well, I’m just curious. So many girls like you, yet you keep turning them down. If it were me, I’d be happy every day.”
Hyun thought Kim Daewoo was as clueless as a bear. He believed Daewoo would only mature after serving in the military. Just then…
“Wow!”
“What?”
“Hyun, look over there. She’s stunning. Did we have someone like that in our college? I thought she was a celebrity at first!”
Kim Daewoo exclaimed excitedly. Sure enough, in front of the college building stood a female student.
Her long black hair reaching down to her waist contrasted sharply with her milk-white skin.
Moreover, her cat-like eyes and sharp nose were as beautiful as a famous painter’s artwork.
Her tightly closed lips made her look cold, but also somewhat alluring.
As Hyun carefully examined her face, his eyes widened suddenly.
“Yooha?”
